Eliseus maketh iron to swim upon the water: he leadeth the Syrians that were sent to apprehend him into Samaria, where there eyes being opened, they are courteously entertained. The Syrians besiege Samaria: the famine there causeth a woman to eat her own child. Upon this the king commandeth Eliseus to be put to death.

[1] And the sons of the prophets said to Eliseus: Behold the place where we dwell with thee is too strait for us.
Dixerunt autem filii prophetarum ad Eliseum : Ecce locus, in quo habitamus coram te, angustus est nobis.

[2] Let us go as far as the Jordan and take out of the wood every man a piece of timber, that we may build us there a place to dwell in. And he said: Go.
Eamus usque ad Jordanem, et tollant singuli de silva materias singulas, ut aedificemus nobis ibi locum ad habitandum. Qui dixit : Ite.

[4] So he went with them. And when they were come to the Jordan they cut down wood.
Et abiit cum eis. Cumque venissent ad Jordanem, caedebant ligna.

[5] And it happened, as one was felling some timber, that the head of the axe fell into the water: and he cried out, and said: Alas, alas, alas, my lord, for this same was borrowed.
Accidit autem, ut cum unus materiam succidisset, caderet ferrum securis in aquam : exclamavitque ille, et ait : Heu heu heu domine mi, et hoc ipsum mutuo acceperam.

[6] And the man of God said: Where did it fall? and he shewed him the place. Then he cut off a piece of wood, and cast it in thither: and the iron swam.
Dixit autem homo Dei : Ubi cecidit? At ille monstravit ei locum. Praecidit ergo lignum, et misit illuc : natavitque ferrum,

[7] And he said: Take it up. And he put out his hand and took it.
et ait : Tolle. Qui extendit manum, et tulit illud.

[8] And the king of Syria warred against Israel, and took counsel with his servants, saying: In such and such a place let us lay ambushes.
Rex autem Syriae pugnabat contra Israel, consiliumque iniit cum servis suis, dicens : In loco illo et illo ponamus insidias.

[9] And the man of God sent to the king of Israel, saying: Beware that thou pass not to such a place: for the Syrians are there in ambush.
Misit itaque vir Dei ad regem Israel, dicens : Cave ne transeas in locum illum : quia ibi Syri in insidiis sunt.

[10] And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God had told him, and prevented him, and looked well to himself there not once nor twice.
Misit itaque rex Israel ad locum quem dixerat ei vir Dei, et praeoccupavit eum, et observavit se ibi non semel neque bis.

[11] And the heart of the king of Syria was troubled for this thing. And calling together his servants, he said: Why do you not tell me who it is that betrays me to the king of Israel?
Conturbatumque est cor regis Syriae pro hac re : et convocatis servis suis, ait : Quare non indicatis mihi quis proditor mei sit apud regem Israel?

[12] And one of his servants said: No one, my lord O king: but Eliseus the prophet, that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel all the words, that thou speakest in thy privy chamber.
Dixitque unus servorum ejus : Nequaquam, domine mi rex, sed Eliseus propheta, qui est in Israel, indicat regi Israel omnia verba quaecumque locutus fueris in conclavi tuo.

[13] And he said to them: Go, and see where he is: that I may send, and take him. And they told him, saying: Behold he is in Dothan.
Dixitque eis : Ite, et videte ubi sit : ut mittam, et capiam eum. Annuntiaveruntque ei, dicentes : Ecce in Dothan.

[14] Therefore he sent thither horses and chariots, and the strength of an army: and they came by night, and beset the city.
Misit ergo illuc equos et currus, et robur exercitus : qui cum venissent nocte, circumdederunt civitatem.

[16] But he answered: Fear not: for there are more with us than with them.
At ille respondit : Noli timere : plures enim nobiscum sunt, quam cum illis.

[17] And Eliseus prayed, and said: Lord, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the servant, and he saw: and behold the mountain was full of horses, and chariots of fire round about Eliseus.
Cumque orasset Eliseus, ait : Domine, aperi oculos hujus, ut videat. Et aperuit Dominus oculos pueri, et vidit : et ecce mons plenus equorum, et curruum igneorum, in circuitu Elisei.

[18] And the enemies came down to him, but Eliseus prayed to the Lord, saying: Strike, I beseech thee, this people with blindness. And the Lord struck them with blindness, according to the word of Eliseus.
Hostes vero descenderunt ad eum : porro Eliseus oravit ad Dominum, dicens : Percute, obsecro, gentem hanc caecitate. Percussitque eos Dominus, ne viderent, juxta verbum Elisei.

[19] And Eliseus said to them: This is not the way, neither is this the city: follow me, and I will shew you the man whom you seek. So he led them into Samaria.
Dixit autem ad eos Eliseus : Non est haec via, neque ista est civitas : sequimini me, et ostendam vobis virum quem quaeritis. Duxit ergo eos in Samariam :

[20] And when they were come into Samaria, Eliseus said: Lord, open the eyes of these men, that they may see. And the Lord opened their eyes, and they saw themselves to be in the midst of Samaria.
cumque ingressi fuissent in Samariam, dixit Eliseus : Domine, aperi oculos istorum, ut videant. Aperuitque Dominus oculos eorum, et viderunt se esse in medio Samariae.

[23] And a great provision of meats was set before them, and they ate and drank, and he let them go, and they went away to their master, and the robbers of Syria came no more into the land of Israel.
Appositaque est eis ciborum magna praeparatio, et comederunt, et biberunt, et dimisit eos, abieruntque ad dominum suum, et ultra non venerunt latrones Syriae in terram Israel.

[24] And it came to pass after these things, that Benadad king of Syria gathered together all his army, and went up, and besieged Samaria.
Factum est autem post haec, congregavit Benadad rex Syriae universum exercitum suum, et ascendit, et obsidebat Samariam.

[25] And there was a great famine in Samaria: and so long did the siege continue, till the head of an ass was sold for fourscore pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cabe of pigeon's dung, for five pieces of silver.
Factaque est fames magna in Samaria : et tamdiu obsessa est, donec venundaretur caput asini octoginta argenteis, et quarta pars cabi stercoris columbarum quinque argenteis.

[27] And he said: If the Lord doth not save thee, how can I save thee? out of the barnfloor, or out of the winepress? And the king said to her: What aileth thee? And she answered:
Qui ait : Non te salvat Dominus : unde te possum salvare? de area, vel de torculari? Dixitque ad eam rex : Quid tibi vis? Quae respondit :

[29] So we boiled my son, and ate him. And I said to her on the next day: Give thy son that we may eat him. And she hath hid her son.
Coximus ergo filium meum, et comedimus. Dixique ei die altera : Da filium tuum, ut comedamus eum. Quae abscondit filium suum.

[30] When the king heard this, he rent his garments, and passed by upon the wall. And all the people saw the haircloth which he wore within next to his flesh.
Quod cum audisset rex, scidit vestimenta sua, et transibat per murum. Viditque omnis populus cilicium, quo vestitus erat ad carnem intrinsecus.

[31] And the king said: May God do so and so to me, and may he add more, if the head of Eliseus the son of Saphat shall stand on him this day.
Et ait rex : Haec mihi faciat Deus, et haec addat, si steterit caput Elisei filii Saphat super ipsum hodie.

[32] But Eliseus sat in his house, and the ancients sat with him. So he sent a man before: and before that messenger came, he said to the ancients: Do you know that this son of a murderer hath sent to cut off my head? Look then, when the messenger shall come, shut the door, and suffer him not to come in: for behold the sound of his master's feet is behind him.
Eliseus autem sedebat in domo sua, et senes sedebant cum eo. Praemisit itaque virum : et antequam veniret nuntius ille, dixit ad senes : Numquid scitis quod miserit filius homicidae hic, ut praecidatur caput meum? Videte ergo, cum venerit nuntius, claudite ostium, et non sinatis eum introire : ecce enim sonitus pedum domini ejus post eum est.

[33] While he was yet speaking to them, the messenger appeared who was coming to him. And he said: Behold, so great an evil is from the Lord: what shall I look for more from the Lord?
Adhuc illo loquente eis, apparuit nuntius, qui veniebat ad eum. Et ait : Ecce, tantum malum a Domino est : quid amplius expectabo a Domino?